Why are staves, bows, 2 hand swords, etc in TESO seen as sheathed on a characters back?

NewBlacksmurf · October 2015

From playing RPG, MMO and other types of fantasy games for 30+ years I've often seen these weapon types placed on backs of characters which is funny to me because it's impossible to run around like that in general vs just holding the weapon or perhaps having a character hold weapons on a mount and or somewhere other than a back because you can't quickly move, maneuver, pull a staff or two hand sword on and off your back.

Is this historically correct?
I blame the depiction of ninjas and bows which also are depicted wrong on a back vs over the should/back. The sheer size and weight of these items makes it illogical after going to our local renaissance festival and attempting to wear some of the stuff. There is no way it was historically accurate or many did so as a packing technique to travel long distances.

I know it's just games so I'm not complaining...just thinking about who came up with this and why it still is present in so many games vs any new ideas with talented artists and developers along with huge graphical improvements.

Edit: adding context -

http://youtu.be/xjURzgkCuAE

Nestor · October 2015

More than likely it is easier to keep something from visually clipping through the legs. If it were on the hip it would much harder to keep things separate. Its kind of the price we pay for having objects like this move with the Physics effects. If they were static, it would be easy to put the weapon anywhere and have it stay there.

I do agree that realistically it would be harder to pull any weapon of length from your back sheath and get it ready for a fight, before you were killed. However it is a game where we can spit fire and send icicles out of a stick and heal mortal damage with a drink from a potion, so it's just one of those things.

As for the getting it off my characters back, I just put it down to quick release electro magnets powered by a Nirn Battery and leave it at that. If I even think about it.

UrQuan · October 2015

Have you ever tried to actually draw a two-handed sword from a sheath on your back? Yeah, impractical is definitely the word that comes to mind.

Basically this is one of those things where they're following the Rule of Cool rather than anything remotely realistic.

NewBlacksmurf · October 2015

I never even thought about it until recently and while looking like a complete idiot...I thought as a very athletic guy, I'd be able to pull a sword over my head and be ready for battle.

It actually requires my arms to be twice as long just to get it out...LoL
The staff...well no comment as the only way to sheathe it was to wrap cloth or leather around it and me...then I was like...uhmm WTH how would I even walk around.

I'm inly 5'10" so yeah those large items are...a lot larger than I thought.

Imagine a black guy walking around (Reguard) with a squiggly line in the dirt.....silly
Or worse getting stuck mid way while leaning over with two hands trying to pull out a sword.....I had to put a hand on the blade to get it out.....that's not right...LoL

#smallguyissues

GuyNamedSean · October 2015

I agree. It's not accurate to most weapons. It's also not accurate the size of some weapons, like warhammers.

Xendyn · October 2015

Hmm would have to get more creative, I guess

history-revisited.com/detail/id/424/name/carrying-sheath-for-two-handed-swords,-braveheart

NewBlacksmurf · October 2015

Xendyn wrote: »

Hmm would have to get more creative, I guess

history-revisited.com/detail/id/424/name/carrying-sheath-for-two-handed-swords,-braveheart

Yep....now try and pull that off your back without looking like I did.....

Xendyn · October 2015

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Hmm would have to get more creative, I guess

history-revisited.com/detail/id/424/name/carrying-sheath-for-two-handed-swords,-braveheart

Yep....now try and pull that off your back without looking like I did.....

Look at it, tho. The sheathe part is only at the point. You could pull that. We just need better designed scabbards.
Now we have to get ZOS to redesign them.

UrQuan · October 2015

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Xendyn wrote: »

Hmm would have to get more creative, I guess

history-revisited.com/detail/id/424/name/carrying-sheath-for-two-handed-swords,-braveheart

Yep....now try and pull that off your back without looking like I did.....

Actually, that one could work. It looks like you'd just unhook the strap at the top, and then you'd only be pulling it out of the small sheath at the end.

PBpsy · October 2015

No it doesn't work that well IRL since the sword must be in a sheath not magnetically suspended by the cool magnetic sword holding spinal implant in your back. Duh

UrQuan · October 2015

PBpsy wrote: »

No it doesn't work that well IRL since the sword must be in a sheath not magnetically suspended by the cool magnetic sword holding spinal implant in your back. Duh

So what the hell did I get that damn magnetic sword holding spinal implant for?!? Are you telling me I wasted my money and condemned myself to years of crippling spine pain for nothing?

nimander99 · October 2015

William Wallace had a leather thong that he used to sling the sword over his back... it was also 6 feet long.

Fantastic video, I've learned more about medieval weaponry in these forums than I did in college

Also the Chinese wore whip-swords on their back (and side) but the blade was so flexible it could bend and slide straight over the shoulder.

NewBlacksmurf · October 2015

UrQuan wrote: »

PBpsy wrote: »

No it doesn't work that well IRL since the sword must be in a sheath not magnetically suspended by the cool magnetic sword holding spinal implant in your back. Duh

So what the hell did I get that damn magnetic sword holding spinal implant for?!? Are you telling me I wasted my money and condemned myself to years of crippling spine pain for nothing?

Rofl!!!!

UltimaJoe777 · October 2015

UrQuan wrote: »

Have you ever tried to actually draw a two-handed sword from a sheath on your back? Yeah, impractical is definitely the word that comes to mind.

Basically this is one of those things where they're following the Rule of Cool rather than anything remotely realistic.

To be fair games are not bound to the laws of physics or reality so they are allowed to do this kind of thing lol

On a side note, which is more functional:

A. A Greatsword strapped to your back?
B. A Greatsword strapped to your hip?

Have fun with that

UrQuan · October 2015

UltimaJoe777 wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

Have you ever tried to actually draw a two-handed sword from a sheath on your back? Yeah, impractical is definitely the word that comes to mind.

Basically this is one of those things where they're following the Rule of Cool rather than anything remotely realistic.

To be fair games are not bound to the laws of physics or reality so they are allowed to do this kind of thing lol

On a side note, which is more functional:

A. A Greatsword strapped to your back?
B. A Greatsword strapped to your hip?

Have fun with that

That's why what you do in real life (which is also depicted in medieval/renaissance art) is you carry the greatsword over your shoulder...

Fizzlewizzle · October 2015

UltimaJoe777 wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

Have you ever tried to actually draw a two-handed sword from a sheath on your back? Yeah, impractical is definitely the word that comes to mind.

Basically this is one of those things where they're following the Rule of Cool rather than anything remotely realistic.

To be fair games are not bound to the laws of physics or reality so they are allowed to do this kind of thing lol

On a side note, which is more functional:

A. A Greatsword strapped to your back?
B. A Greatsword strapped to your hip?

Have fun with that

It depends. Are you a warrior or a Farmer.
Warrior Should go for A, while the Farmer should go for B.

The Warrior can run across the battlefield while the farmer ploughs the lands.

Kuroinu · October 2015

Around the time that the Akaviri Motif was datamind I also had this thought. The Akaviri Dai-katana (essentially greatsword) would look weird if placed on your back and not at the hip. Since the Akaviri style is heavily influenced by the Samurai in Japanese culture who carried their weapons at around hip level, I'd like to see this replicated for the upcoming motif style.

If there's one thing I want them to get right, it'd be this. It looks silly drawing a Dai-katana from your back, even past TES titles done it wrong lol.

And just for a visual reference of how I'd like it to look. (Ignore the waist belt and other fancy bits, the focus of this image is just to highlight the position of the swords.)

NewBlacksmurf · October 2015

UltimaJoe777 wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

Have you ever tried to actually draw a two-handed sword from a sheath on your back? Yeah, impractical is definitely the word that comes to mind.

Basically this is one of those things where they're following the Rule of Cool rather than anything remotely realistic.

To be fair games are not bound to the laws of physics or reality so they are allowed to do this kind of thing lol

On a side note, which is more functional:

A. A Greatsword strapped to your back?
B. A Greatsword strapped to your hip?

Have fun with that

Neither...just carry it over the shoulder as the video shows.

AssassinTheMage · October 2015

One concept I liked when it came to archers was the quiver sitting horizontal across the base of the back. The problem with this is that wouldnt the arrows slide out at any given time???

notimetocare · October 2015

AssassinTheMage wrote: »

One concept I liked when it came to archers was the quiver sitting horizontal across the base of the back. The problem with this is that wouldnt the arrows slide out at any given time???

Current Compound bows have upside down quivers that attatch to the bow. Similar mechanics?